FIVE-YEAR-OLD John Cocking's mum and dad know just how important children's high-dependency facilities can be.

Two weeks before Christmas, John came home from school feeling poorly with a high temperature.

A few days later, he woke up screaming for his mum, crying that he could not see.

John's dad, also called John, 53, called the doctor who immediately referred him to York Hospital.

"It was very frightening, he was just out of it altogether," said Mr Cocking,.

"He wasn't with us at all and was in a really deep sleep. He more or less left us for ten days; it was very harrowing."

After two lumbar punctures, a brain scan and blood tests, John was diagnosed with ADEM (acute disseminating encephalomyelitis) and sent to Leeds General Infirmary where he was fed with a naso-gastric tube and given steroids intravenously.

He was brought back to York by ambulance and stayed in hospital for five weeks.

"Christmas was coming and John was just out of it - he just lay in bed and we just didn't know what to do," said Mr Cocking.

His mum, Sara Riley, 39, was pregnant with John's sister, Caitlin Jane, at the time.

"He had to learn everything again - how to eat, walk etc - it was like watching his whole life again, like a baby growing up again.

"He's not there yet. It will be a long process. His mobility is getting better and he can only see with one eye.

"Luckily, he has not been affected mentally and his hearing is fine.

"He enjoys school although he has to have help reading because he cannot read small text.

"He's a very brave boy and he's coped very well and we're all really proud of him."

Mr Cocking, of Sherburn-in-Elmet, near Selby, urged readers to get behind the Evening Press Guardian Angels appeal.

He said: "The thought of losing someone very close to you is the worst nightmare that you can imagine as you sit doing nothing day after day just looking at your helpless child.

"We clung to any support that we could possibly get to receive some solace. Luckily, we got what we asked for.

"We can't expect perfection but, hopefully, in time it's possible to recover more and more. I would encourage every reader to support the campaign."

Does your child owe its life to York Hospital's children's ward? Would you like to share your story to help boost our appeal? Phone our newsdesk on 01904 653051, or email us at newsdesk@ycp.co.uk.

Updated: 09:57 Wednesday, October 12, 2005